Career and Education Opportunities for High School Teachers in Fort Collins, Colorado

High school teachers can find both educational opportunities and jobs in the Fort Collins, Colorado area. There are currently 14,940 jobs for high school teachers in Colorado and this is projected to grow 18% to 17,630 jobs by 2016. This is better than the nation as a whole, where employment opportunities for high school teachers are expected to grow by about 8.8%. High school teachers generally instruct students in secondary public or private schools in one or more subjects at the secondary level, such as English, mathematics, or social studies.

The average wage in the general category of Primary and Secondary School Education jobs is $12 per hour or $42,790 per year in Colorado, and an average of $11 per hour or $45,804 per year nationwide. Compared with people working in the overall category of Primary and Secondary School Education, people working as high school teachers in Colorado earn more. They earn more than people working in the overall category of Primary and Secondary School Education nationally. High school teachers work in a variety of jobs, including: driving teacher, educator, and esl teacher .

There are eleven schools of higher education in the Fort Collins area, including two within twenty-five miles of Fort Collins where you can get a degree to start your career as a high school teacher. Given that the most common education level for high school teachers is a Bachelor's degree, you can expect to spend about four years studying to be a high school teacher if you already have a high school diploma.

CAREER DESCRIPTION: High School Teacher

High School Teacher video from the State of New Jersey Dept. of Labor and Workforce Development

In general, high school teachers instruct students in secondary public or private schools in one or more subjects at the secondary level, such as English, mathematics, or social studies. They also may be designated according to subject matter specialty, such as typing instructors, commercial teachers, or English teachers.

High school teachers establish and enforce rules for behavior and methods for maintaining order among students. They also attend staff meetings and serve on committees, as required. Equally important, high school teachers have to use computers, audio-visual aids, and other equipment and materials to supplement presentations. They are often called upon to ready students for later grades by encouraging them to explore learning opportunities and to persevere with challenging tasks. They are expected to adapt teaching methods and instructional materials to meet students' varying needs and interests. Finally, high school teachers administer standardized ability and achievement tests and interpret results to establish students' strengths and areas of need.

Every day, high school teachers are expected to be able to articulate ideas and problems. It is also important that they listen to and understand others in meetings.

It is important for high school teachers to ready and implement remedial programs for students requiring extra help. They are often called upon to instruct and monitor students in the use of equipment and materials to inhibit injuries and damage. They also attend professional meetings and teacher training workshops to maintain and improve professional competence. They are sometimes expected to maintain accurate and complete student records as required by laws and administrative regulations. Somewhat less frequently, high school teachers are also expected to instruct through lectures and demonstrations in one or more subjects, such as English or social studies.

High school teachers sometimes are asked to formulate and supervise class projects, field trips, visits by guest speakers, or other experiential efforts, and guide students in learning from those efforts. They also have to be able to perform administrative duties such as assisting in school libraries, hall and cafeteria monitoring, and bus loading and unloading and formulate and conduct efforts for a balanced program of instruction and work time that provides students with opportunities to monitor and investigate. And finally, they sometimes have to meet with parents and guardians to consider their children's progress and to establish priorities for their children and their resource needs.

Like many other jobs, high school teachers must have exceptional integrity and be reliable.

Similar jobs with educational opportunities in Fort Collins include:

Elementary School Teacher. Teach pupils in public or private schools at the elementary level basic academic, social, and other formative skills.

Middle School Teacher. Teach students in public or private schools in one or more subjects at the middle, intermediate, or junior high level, which falls between elementary and senior high school as defined by applicable State laws and regulations.

Vocational Instructor. Teach or instruct vocational or occupational subjects at the postsecondary level (but at less than the baccalaureate) to students who have graduated or left high school. Includes correspondence school instructors; industrial, commercial and government training instructors; and adult education teachers and instructors who prepare persons to operate industrial machinery and equipment and transportation and communications equipment. Teaching may take place in public or private schools whose primary business is education or in a school associated with an organization whose primary business is other than education.

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES: High School Teacher Training

Colorado State University - Fort Collins, CO

Colorado State University, 102 Administration Building, Fort Collins, CO 80523-0100. Colorado State University is a large university located in Fort Collins, Colorado. It is a public school with primarily 4-year or above programs. It has 27,796 students and an admission rate of 86%. Colorado State University has a bachelor's degree program in Agricultural Teacher Education which graduated six students in 2008.

University of Northern Colorado - Greeley, CO

University of Northern Colorado, Carter Hall - Rm 4000, Greeley, CO 80639. University of Northern Colorado is a large university located in Greeley, Colorado. It is a public school with primarily 4-year or above programs. It has 11,925 students and an admission rate of 92%. University of Northern Colorado has 2 areas of study related to High School Teacher. They are:

Music Teacher Education, bachelor's degree which graduated 33 students in 2008.

LOCATION INFORMATION: Fort Collins, Colorado

Fort Collins, Colorado photo by Citycommunications

Fort Collins is located in Larimer County, Colorado. It has a population of over 136,509, which has grown by 15.0% in the past ten years. The cost of living index in Fort Collins, 91, is below the national average. New single-family homes in Fort Collins are valued at $216,000 on average, which is below the state average. In 2008, two hundred sixty-seven new homes were built in Fort Collins, down from four hundred eight the previous year.

The three big industries for women in Fort Collins are educational services, health care, and accommodation and food services. For men, it is educational services, construction, and professional, scientific, and technical services. The average travel time to work is about 19 minutes. More than 48.4% of Fort Collins residents have a bachelor's degree, which is higher than the state average. The percentage of residents with a graduate degree, 18.4%, is higher than the state average.

The unemployment rate in Fort Collins is 6.3%, which is less than Colorado's average of 6.6%.

The percentage of Fort Collins residents that are affiliated with a religious congregation, 39.3%, is less than the national average but more than the state average. The most common religious groups are the Catholic Church, the Assemblies of God and the LDS (Mormon) Church.